


Growing up as Nico and Lewis' daughter

by wishfulwriter



Series: The Hamilton-Rosberg Family [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2018-09-02 22:24:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8685628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishfulwriter/pseuds/wishfulwriter
Summary: Nico and Lewis get to take their daughter home.





	1. Welcome home

**Author's Note:**

> I keep the same system as in 'Life as Nico and Lewis' daughter' which means that italic stuff is said in a different language (be it German, French or whatever else I decide to throw in the mix), because let's face it as Nico's daughter you're going to speak a lot of languages

Nico smiles as he watches the little girl sleep on the plane; their little girl, their daughter. They’re both over the moon now that all the paperwork has been taken care and they can finally take her home. She’s originally from Germany, but since Nico and Lewis made it clear that they wanted to adopt her she has been learning English at the orphanage. Of course 4 years old is very young to be learning a whole new language, but the people at the orphanage simply tried to teach her a few words her and there as she played. She’s nowhere near fluent and Nico will probably have to translate a lot at first, but they have no doubt that she will learn to speak English with Lewis soon enough. When she hears the language around her it will become second nature to her.  
“We should wake her up.” Nico says. “The landing might scare her.”  
Lewis nods and reaches out to her. “Wake up princess.” Meghan stirs a little at the sound of his voice and then slowly opens her eyes. “We’re almost home.” Lewis smiles.  
“Home?” She asks as she sits up to look out the window.  
“ _Almost_.” Nico says as he takes Lewis’ hand.

They get off the plane and into a car and after a short drive the family arrives at their home in Monaco.  
“Do you want to see your room?” Lewis asks as he smiles down at her. Meghan blinks up at him a few times before turning to Nico with a questioning look on her face.  
“ _Your dad asked if you want to see your room_.” Nico translates for the little girl and her face lights up as she nods.  
“ _Wait_.” Meghan says as they’re about to walk towards her new room, in her new home, where she’s going to stay forever. She turns to Lewis and furrows her eyebrows as if she’s in deep thought. “Yes, please.” She says after a few moments of silence and she looks up at Nico for confirmation on her English as a smile spreads across Lewis’ face.  
“ _Very good, Meghan_.” Nico praises her and the little girl smiles up at her new parents.  
“Come on.” Lewis says as he leads the way.

After showing Meghan the apartment and the dogs that she happily played with. The three of them have dinner and when Meghan is tucked into her new bed Nico and Lewis sit on the couch in the living room. Lewis arm is lazily slung around Nico’s shoulders and Nico’s head rests against Lewis chest as he leans into him.  
“You’re very quiet.” Nico says after a while; he has noticed the sadness behind Lewis’ smile today. “Are you not happy that she’s here?” He finally asks the question that has been eating at him all day and he’s more than a little scared about the answer.  
“I am.” Lewis responds. “Of course I am.” He pulls Nico a little closer and rests his head on top of Nico’s.  
“What’s wrong?” Nico asks.  
“I just hate that I can’t talk to her.” Lewis sighs.  
“She’ll learn.” Nico promises.  
“I know.” Lewis sighs as he lifts his head.  
“Hey.” Nico says as he sits up so he can look at Lewis. “Soon she’ll be talking so much to you that you wish you couldn’t understand her.” He says as he cups Lewis face in his hands before he leans forward to press his lips to Lewis’.  
“I can’t wait.” Lewis says as he pulls Nico in for another kiss.

Nico went to bed a while ago, but Lewis tends to stay up later during the winter break. He’s about to go to bed now though and he can’t stop himself from taking a peak at his little girl. What he sees when he opens the door isn’t what he was expecting. He was expecting to see her fast asleep and he was going to press a kiss to the top of her head before he would walk to his own room to slip into bed with Nico. Instead Meghan is sitting up in her bed and he can see traces of tears on her cheeks.  
“Hey.” He mutters as he steps into the room. Meghan looks up and he can see fresh tears drop down from her eyes. He takes a deep breath before he makes his way closer to her and he remembers what Nico told him; ‘she’s learned a lot already, just try to talk to her in short sentences’. “No sleep?” Lewis asks as he sits down on the edge of her bed.  
“No.” She sniffles. “ _Traum_.” She adds and Lewis wonders if Nico told her to talk in short sentences to him as well. Lewis racks his brain; Traum, traum? And then suddenly it hits him.  
“A dream?” He asks and Meghan has to think for a moment, but then she nods. She had a bad dream, he can work with that. “Come here.” He says softly as he opens his arms for her.  
Meghan pushes the covers away and crawls across the bed towards Lewis. He carefully pulls her onto his lap and he’s slightly surprised when she immediately cuddles closer to him. “It’s okay.” He mutters as he gently strokes her hair. He sits there with her until she falls asleep. Looking down at her in his lap he can’t fathom how small she is and all he wants to do from now on is keep her safe from anything that can possibly harm her in the future.  
“Lewis?” Nico’s sleepy voice drifts into the room.  
Lewis turns his head to look at him. “She had a bad dream.” He says as he stands up from the bed to carefully place Meghan back under the covers.  
“How did you figure that out?” Nico asks as he watches his husband press a kiss to their daughter’s forehead.  
“I understood every word she said.” Lewis smiles.


	2. First race (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meghan joins her parents to the track for the first time; Thursday - Press Conference

Lewis is more than a little nervous about taking their daughter with them to the first race of the season, but he hates the idea of leaving her behind with a random nanny even more. So when they arrive at the track he carries her and holds her as close as possible. Nico smiles as he recalls the winter break. They spend a lot of time together just getting used to being a family. Meghan very quickly became their main priority and Nico can honestly say that he has never been as in love with Lewis as he is right now. Seeing him with their daughter is one of the most precious things ever. Meghan has learned a lot of English since she arrived in Monaco. She still struggles with some words, but what 4-year-old doesn’t?  
“You know you can’t actually take her with you in the car, right?” Nico jokes as Lewis keeps Meghan close as always.  
“I know and I’m dreading it.” Lewis mumbles as he presses a kiss to her temple.  
Meghan furrows her eyebrows and looks at Lewis. “Dreading?” She asks. She’s been doing that a lot; asking the meaning of every word that she doesn’t know, she does it in German as well and Nico has decided that now that they’re teaching her English he might as well teach her French too.  
“It means that daddy doesn’t want to leave his princess.” Lewis tells her and she smiles at him, but then it turns into a pout.  
“Why leave me?” She asks. Lewis tries to think of an easy way to explain it in English, but when he can’t come up with anything he looks at Nico for help.  
“ _Daddy and I have to work, which means that we are going to leave you with someone from the team for a while_.” Nico explains as he steps closer to Lewis and Meghan. “ _And when we’re done we will come back to get you, okay?_ ” He says as he places a hand on her back and his free arm around Lewis’ waist.  
“Okay.” She nods.  
Lewis sighs. “I have to go to the press conference.”  
Nico nods. “Say good luck to daddy, he has to work and you and I are going to watch him on the tv.”  
Meghan wraps her arms around Lewis’ neck and kisses his cheek. “Good luck daddy.” She smiles at him.  
“Thank you princess.” Lewis replies as he hands her to Nico.  
"Good luck." Nico smiles as he presses a kiss to Lewis lips.  
"Thanks babe." Lewis smiles and steals another kiss before he runs off to the press conference.

“Lewis we’ve seen you arrive with your daughter today; will she be here for the race as well?”  
Lewis nods. “Yeah, she will be. She’s actually watching this right now.” He waves at the camera and back at Mercedes little Meghan waves back at him from her position on Nico’s lap.  
“She’s here?” Sebastian asks Lewis as he turns to look at him and Lewis nods again. “I really want to meet her; you only told me you were adopting and after that nothing.”  
“Yeah, sorry.” Lewis shrugs awkwardly. “We wanted to spend some time with just the three of us. She had to get used to the new environment and to me and Nico before we throw her in the deep end.”  
“I understand that, but you can’t keep her away from us anymore.” Sebastian says.  
The rest of the press conference goes by without anything special and Nico tries to teach Meghan the names of the drivers she sees on the screen. Afterwards Sebastian makes his way to Mercedes to have a look at the newest member of the Hamilton-Rosberg family.  
“Sebastian.” Meghan says as she spots him over Nico’s shoulder; proud that she remembered his name.  
Sebastian is immediately enchanted by the little girl as he smiles at her. “So you’re Meghan.” He says and the little girl nods shyly as she cuddles a bit further into Nico.  
“ _She’s a bit shy with meeting so many people at once_.” Nico explains to his fellow German.  
Sebastian nods. “ _Does she speak German?_ ” He asks. Nico nods and he furrows his eyebrows as he tries to understand what Meghan is whispering in his ear.  
He has to ask her to repeat it and when he understands what’s she’s saying he chuckles slightly. “ _Ja, Sebastian speaks German too_.” This seems to calm her nerves a little as she really looks at Sebastian for the first time. Sebastian gives her little wave, which seems to break the ice as Meghan smiles at him.  
“ _Are you from Germany then?_ ” Sebastian asks.  
“ _Ja, you?_ ” She asks back and both Nico and Sebastian laugh.  
“ _Me too. I’m from Heppenheim_.” Sebastian answers.  
Nico furrows his eyebrows as he looks around and there’s still no sign of Lewis. “ _Would you mind keeping an eye on her while I get Lewis?_ ” Nico asks.  
“ _If it’s okay with her_.” Sebastian shrugs.  
Nico looks at Meghan. “ _I’m going to get daddy; is it okay if Sebastian stays with you?_ ” Meghan nods and stretches her hands out to Sebastian who happily takes her in his arms.  
“ _What?_ ” Sebastian asks when he notices Nico staring at them in awe.  
“ _You’re the first person she trusts this easily_.” Nico explains. “ _She wouldn’t even let our parents hold her the first few times she saw them_.”  
Sebastian grins at the little girl. “ _Looks like we have a special bond_.”  
“ _Daddy doesn’t speak German, but I’m learning English so it will be okay_.” She says to Sebastian after Nico walks away to find his husband.  
“ _You’re learning English?_ ” Sebastian is surprised. “ _Are you good yet?_ ” He asks as he sits down on the chair that Nico used when he watched the press conference.  
“ _A little, I think_.” She shrugs. " _Sebastian is a long name_." She states as she looks up at him.  
He chuckles. " _It is_." He nods and then he comes up with an idea that will stick around for the rest of his life. " _You can call me Onkel Seb if that's easier_." He offers.  
" _Okay, Onkel Seb_." Meghan smiles at him. “ _Do you race cars like papa and daddy?_ ”  
“ _I do, but I’m better_.” Sebastian grins.  
Meghan shakes her head. “ _Daddy is a champion. If you were better, you would be champion_.” She simply states and Sebastian can’t argue with that logic. "Daddy!" She then exclaims as she tries to climb of Sebastians lap. He smiles fondly at her before he helps her down and watches her skip over to Lewis.  
"There's my little princess." Lewis says as he crouches down to meet her.  
"Onkel Seb is not better than you in racing, right?" She asks Lewis.  
"No, he's not." Lewis smiles at his daughter.  
"See, I told you." Meghan says to Sebastian.  
Nico raises his eyebrows at Sebastian. "Onkel Seb?"  
Sebastian simply shrugs. "She thought Sebastian was too long."


	3. First race (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Friday and it looks like Sebastian is getting competition; Friday - FP1 and FP2

“Mate, what is this?” Jenson asks Lewis when he walks into the garage on Friday.  
Lewis furrows his eyebrows as he tries to figure out what his teammate is talking about. “What?”  
“Why did Seb meet your daughter before me?” Jenson exclaims. “I’m your teammate.”  
“Sorry, man.” Lewis holds his hands up in surrender. “She’s with Nico. Someone from Mercedes will keep an eye on her during free practice, but I can take you to see her after.” He offers.  
“Sounds good.” Jenson nods. “How is she dealing with everything?”  
Lewis leans against a table as he faces his teammate. “She had a few nightmares when we first took her to Monaco, but overall she settled in pretty fast. She had a hard time falling asleep in the hotel last night, but when we took her in bed with us she finally did.” He smiles as he recalls the previous night; Meghan was lying in between him and Nico and when she fell asleep and he looked at Nico the look on Nico’s face was so full of love that Lewis couldn’t do anything other than lean over his daughter and kiss his husband.  
“She must love the dogs.” Jenson smiles.  
Lewis chuckles. “Yeah, we really didn’t have to buy her any toys, she doesn’t play with them at all.”

After FP1 Nico gets out of the car to go over some things before the next practice session and he spots his daughter with a pair of Mercedes headphones on.  
“ _Look at you_.” He chuckles as he picks her up from the blanket where she’s been sitting. It makes him so happy to see her face light up as soon as she spots him. “ _Did you see papa drive?_ ” He asks and she nods.  
“ _Your car makes a lot of noise_.” She says as she points at it.  
“ _It does_.” He nods. “ _I have to get back to work_.” He pouts playfully.  
“ _Okay, good luck_.” She presses a kiss to his cheek. “ _I’m going to read my book again_.” She points at the book she abandoned on the blanket. Nico reluctantly puts her back down and he waves as he walks backwards to the crew.

When FP2 is done Lewis and Jenson make their way to the Mercedes garage after they’ve changed. They find Nico, already changed out of his suit, sitting on a blanket with Meghan on his lap as he reads a book with her.  
“Hey.” Lewis says softly, because he doesn’t really want to ruin the adorable scene in front of him.  
“Hi daddy.” Meghan smiles up at him.  
Lewis smiles at her before he leans down to kiss Nico. “Meghan this is Jenson.” Lewis says as he points to his teammate. “He works with daddy at McLaren.”  
“Hello.” Jenson says as he crouches down in front of Nico and Meghan. Meghan shyly waves at him as she moves closer to Nico’s body.  
“She’s a bit shy.” Nico says to Jenson who just nods as he smiles at the little girl, who’s eyes suddenly light up as she looks at something behind Jenson.  
“ _Onkel Seb_.” She exclaims as she waves at Sebastian who has just made his way into the garage.  
“ _Hallo kleiner_.” Sebastian grins as he walks towards them.  
Jenson looks up at Sebastian. “You met her one day ago and you’ve already brainwashed her.” When Sebastian gives him a confused look he continues. “There is no way anyone would voluntarily be so happy to see you.”  
Sebastian gives him a shove which causes Meghan to let out a giggle that she tries to hide behind her hand. “Meghan and I are friends, right?” He asks and the little girl eagerly nods.  
“Well, if you ask me; Sebastian is a bit of an idiot.” Jenson says to the little girl, but he doesn’t get the giggle he expected. Instead her eyes widen as she turns to look at him.  
“That’s not nice.” Meghan frowns. “He’s my friend.”  
“Thanks Meghan.” Sebastian smiles as he gives Jenson another shove. “She likes me more.”  
“I was kidding Meghan.” Jenson says as he sits down on the floor. “Can we be friends too?”  
She looks a bit wary, but eventually she nods and gives Jenson a tiny smile.

“Do you think she’ll fall asleep by herself this time?” Lewis asks Nico after they’ve tucked Meghan in.  
Nico shrugs. “She will need some time to get used to different beds every weekend. I’m sure she’ll be fine with it soon enough.”  
Lewis hums as he wraps his arms around Nico’s waist. “Sebastian seems to love her.”  
Nico laughs as he wraps his arms around Lewis’ neck. “Yeah and Jenson seems determined to become her best friend.” He says as he rolls his eyes.  
“She’s going to have the entire paddock wrapped around her finger in no time.” Lewis chuckles.  
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Nico murmurs before he leans down just a little to press his lips against Lewis’. “I love you.” Nico says as they rest their forehead together.  
“I love you too.” Lewis responds before he tilts his head up to meet Nico’s lips again. “I’m really happy we did this; adopting her was one of the best things we’ve ever done.”  
“Just wait until she’s a teenager and she comes home with her first boyfriend.” Nico grins.  
Lewis groans as he throws his head back. “Don’t start.” Nico leans forward to kiss Lewis’ neck and his husband can’t help but moan.  
"Don't start what?" Nico whispers against his neck as Lewis' hands tangle in his hair.


	4. First race (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is better?; Saturday - qualifying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short.

“ _Did Onkel Seb beat daddy?_ ” Meghan asks Nico as they watch the three drivers that did the best in qualifying.  
“ _Nein_.” Nico shakes his head. “ _The race is tomorrow. This was just to see where everyone gets to start for the race_.”  
Meghan nods. “ _Do you think Onkel Seb can beat daddy?_ ”  
“ _Maybe_.” Nico says. “ _Onkel Seb is trying really hard and if you really want something and you work really hard; you’ll get it_.” He promises. She looks up at him and nods. Nico knows that there will come a time when she no longer believes every word he says, but right now it’s almost like he’s all-knowing.  
“Daddy!” Nico can’t stop his heart from jumping when he sees Meghan’s face light up as Lewis walks into the garage.  
Lewis grins as he leans down to pick her up and spin her around, earning loud giggles from Meghan. “Did you see me drive?” He asks when he stop and places her on his hip. The little girl nods; eager to please her dad. All of a sudden Meghan’s eyes go wide as she spots Sebastian creeping up behind Lewis. He gestures for her to stay quiet and she covers her mouth with her hand. “What is it, princess?” Lewis asks, but Meghan simply puts her other hand over her mouth as well. Sebastian lets out a scream to scare Lewis. Lewis jumps into the air and pulls Meghan into his chest to protect her from whatever it is that made that horrible noise. When he turns around he is faced with Sebastian who is clutching his stomach as he is doubled over in laughter. Nico can’t help but laugh even though his husband looks like he’s about to kill Sebastian.  
“Good job, Meghan.” Sebastian praises once he’s recovered from his laughter. “You should’ve seen your face.” He chuckles as he pats Lewis’ shoulder.  
Lewis glares at Sebastian before he turns his attention to Meghan. “Don’t help Sebastian to scare daddy again, okay?” He tries to give her a stern look, but Nico notices the smile that is tugging at his lips.  
“Okay.” Meghan tries to hold back a laugh. “Sorry daddy.” She mutters as she wraps her arms around his neck and lays her head on his shoulder.  
“Well, I should get going.” Sebastian says. “See you all tomorrow.”  
They all say goodbye to Sebastian and afterwards Nico makes his way to Lewis and Meghan.  
“You did good today.” Nico smiles at Lewis.  
Lewis shakes his head. “Not good enough; Red Bull is too strong at the moment.” He looks at Meghan. “Your Onkel Seb is getting a bit too good.”  
“But you’re a champion.” Meghan says as she furrows her eyebrows.  
“Yes.” Lewis smiles fondly at her. “But so is Jenson and if Onkel Seb wins from daddy and Jenson, he will be the new champion.” He explains as he adjusts her on his hip and she nods in understanding.  
“But for now your daddy is still the champion.” Nico says. “And even when he loses he will still be our champion.” He adds as he presses a kiss to Lewis’ cheek. “Right Meghan?”  
Meghan nods. “Daddy is the best!” She exclaims as she throws her arms around his neck again.


	5. First race (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday: race-day

“Papa!” Meghan exclaims as Nico walks towards her after he has been weighed. Nico smiles as he picks her up and takes her with him to his room to get changed. He put her down on the couch with one of her beloved books as he goes to take a shower. He’s happy with his own race and he’s happy for Lewis. He sighs as he can only imagine how long it will be before Lewis is done with all the press, but he is happily surprised when he comes out of the shower to find Lewis sat on the couch with Meghan; a smile on his face as he tickles the little girl who tries to wriggle away from him. Lewis looks up when he hears Nico come in.  
“Hey.” He smiles.  
“Hey.” Nico says as he walks to the couch. “I was expecting you to still be doing press.” He adds before he leans down to kiss Lewis. “You did good.”  
“You did good as well, too bad you couldn’t catch Seb.” Lewis says. “I only did a few interviews. I wanted to be done as soon as possible.” He explains as he looks down at Meghan who is now curled into his side with her little book.  
Nico nods. “I know what you mean; I’ve never wanted to get out of the car as fast as this weekend.” He says as he sits down on the other side of Meghan.  
“You-“ Lewis says as he lightly tickles Meghan’s side. “are turning us into softies.”  
Nico chuckles. “Don’t listen to your dad Meghan; he was a softy long before you came around.” He tells Meghan who is staring up at her parents.  
“So was your papa.” Lewis retaliates. Nico is about to say something back when there’s a knock on the door. He gives Lewis a strange look and shrugs before he stands up to open the door.  
“ _Ah, Nico. They need us for the debrief_.” Michael says. “Oh hello Lewis and that must be your little girl.” He smiles as Nico steps aside to let him into the room. “I’m Michael.” He says as he crouches down in front of the couch that Meghan and Lewis are still sitting on.  
“I’m Meghan.” She gives him a small smile as she moves a little closer to Lewis. “Do you drive the same car as papa?” She frowns as she tries to remember where she knows Michael from.  
“I do.” He smiles at her. “Is it okay if I borrow your papa for a moment?”  
Meghan frowns and she tries to move even closer to Lewis. “Only if you bring him back.” She eventually says.  
Both her parents and Michael chuckle. “I promise I will.” Michael says as he stands back up to go to the debrief with Nico.  
“Do you want to go and see Jenson?” Lewis asks and he lifts her up as she nods her head.  
“Will he really bring papa back?” Meghan sounds slightly scared and her grip on Lewis tightens. “I don’t like him borrowing papa.”  
Lewis chuckles, but he quickly gets serious again when he sees the scared look on his daughter’s face. “Papa will be back soon; they’re just at the debrief.”  
“What’s that?” Meghan asks as Lewis steps into the McLaren garage just as Jenson walks in from the back.  
“It’s a meeting where they talk about the race and if everything went okay.” Lewis explains. Meghan nods, but her attention is soon gone again as she spots Jenson.  
“Hi Jenson.” She smiles at him, but she keeps her arms firmly wrapped around Lewis neck. She has warmed up to him, but he has a long way to go before she sees him in the same light as Sebastian.  
“Hey Meghan.” Jenson smiles as he walks closer. “Congrats on the podium mate.” He says as he gives Lewis a pat on the back. “I’m going to miss you Meghan.” Jenson states.  
Meghan frowns. “Are you going away?”  
Jenson and Lewis chuckle. “I’m going home and so are you and next weekend there’s no race so I won’t see you.” Jenson explains.  
“Oh.” Meghan’s shoulders drop and she thinks for a moment before she reaches her arms out to Jenson, who gives Lewis a questioning look. Lewis just smiles and hands Meghan to Jenson. “I’m going to miss you too.” She says as she wraps her arms around Jenson’s neck. Jenson smiles as he rubs the little girl’s back, before he carefully handing her back to Lewis. “Can we say bye to Onkel Seb, daddy?” She asks Lewis as she rests her head against his shoulder and lets out a little yawn.  
“Of course we can.” Lewis smiles. “Are you tired princess?”  
“No.” She shakes her head, but doesn’t have the energy to lift it of his shoulder anymore; it’s been a long day.  
“Well, let’s go to the Red Bull garage then.” Lewis says as he kisses the top of her head.  
“Bye Jenson.” Meghan waves.  
“Bye Meghan.” He waves back as he watches them leave the garage.

After saying bye to Sebastian and finding Nico again the three of them make their way back to the hotel where Meghan goes straight to bed and the two drivers decide to call it a night as well.  
“She was scared that Michael wouldn’t bring you back.” Lewis chuckles as he settles in the bed next to Nico.  
Nico laughs lightly as he rolls onto his side to face Lewis. “Yeah, he shouldn’t have used the term borrowing.” He says before he leans forward to quickly kiss Lewis.  
“Oh and Jenson was allowed to hold her.” Lewis remembers.  
“Really?” Nico raises his eyebrows. “I’m still surprised that she got on with Seb so quickly.”  
“Yeah me too. You should have seen them today.” Lewis smiles at the memory as he rolls onto his back and pulls Nico into him.  
“You went to see Seb?” Nico asks as he lays his head on Lewis’ chest.  
“Yeah, Jenson said he was going to miss her because there was no race next weekend and then she asked if we could go and say bye to Seb.” Lewis says as he looks down at his husband with a smile. “She was in his arms as soon as we stepped into the garage and Seb promised her a sleepover at his place.”  
Nico laughs. “When?”  
“Sometime soon.” Lewis shrugs. “I told him I’d talk to you about it. He seemed really excited.”  
“It’s fine by me.” Nico says as he presses a kiss to Lewis’ chest.


	6. Lewis wins.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Lewis first win of the season and the first time Meghan sees her daddy win.

“ _Papa_!” Meghan exclaims when Nico makes his way to her after being weighed. “ _Daddy won_!”  
Nico smiles as she excitedly bounces up and down. “ _He did. Look he’s getting a trophy now_.” He says as he points up at the screen which shows Lewis on the podium.  
“So Lewis, this is your first win of the season; how does it feel to be back on the podium?” The interviewer asks.  
“It feel really good.” Lewis laughs. “It was a good race and I’d like to dedicate this one to my little girl; this one is for you Meghan.” He says as he looks straight into the camera.

“Daddy!” Meghan runs towards Lewis as fast as her short legs can carry her.  
“Hey there princess.” Lewis smile grows as he picks her up.  
“Con-congra-“ Meghan frowns. “It’s a hard word. Congratulations.” She finally manages and the pronunciation is a bit wrong, but that doesn’t stop Lewis from smiling even brighter.  
“Thank you.” He says as he kisses her cheek.  
“Congratulations _Schatz_.” Nico smiles as he joins them. He leans forward to kiss Lewis quickly; there’s plenty of time to really celebrate later.  
“Thank you.” Lewis says and the way he is looking at Nico makes it clear that he’s thinking about a private celebration as well.

They take Meghan with them for the celebratory dinner and her eyes are wide as she looks around the restaurant. She enjoys her food, but gets distracted from eating every once in a while as she tries to take everything in. Nico and Lewis smile at each other at the look on their daughter’s face. After dinner they make their way back to the hotel. Meghan falls asleep in the car and Lewis carries her up to their room. When they close the door to her room Nico smiles at Lewis as he wraps his arms around his neck.  
“You did really good today.” He whispers against Lewis’ lips.  
“You think so?” Lewis asks as a smirk makes its way onto his face and he wraps his arms around Nico’s body to pull their bodies flush against each other. Nico can’t help but let out a small moan when Lewis presses against him. He looks unbelievably good tonight and Nico has kept himself under control for Meghan’s sake and now he is aching for Lewis.  
“Yes.” He breaths out. “So I think you deserve a bit of a reward.” He says before he kisses Lewis as he tries to pull him even closer. The kiss deepens and when Lewis has to pull away to breath Nico kisses down his jaw and neck.  
“Nico.” Lewis moans out as he tries to maneuver them into their bedroom.


	7. Onkel Seb's first championship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Onkel Seb wins his first championship and Nico and Lewis plan the first Christmas of their little family.

Sebastian won his first championship and Lewis and Nico were patiently waiting for him to finish all his media obligations so Meghan could congratulate her Onkel Seb. The little girl had spent the hours after the race assuring Lewis that he was still the best even if he wasn’t a champion anymore and she was now slowly starting to doze off. Nico had send Sebastian a text asking him if he could stop by Mercedes before he left the track and Sebastian had answered that he would be there as soon as he was done with everything.  
“Hey, sorry it took so long.” Sebastian breaths out as he makes his way into the room. “A lot of people want to talk to you when you become champion.” He grins.  
“I know what it’s like.” Lewis chuckles. “Congratulations man.” He says as he gives Sebastian a hug.  
“Thank you.” Sebastian smiles before he receives a hug and congratulations from Nico as well.  
“Meghan.” Lewis places a hand on her back. “Wake up princess.” She sleepily sits up as she rubs her eyes before looking at Lewis. “Look who’s here.” Lewis says as he gestures to Sebastian.  
“ _Onkel Seb_!” Meghan exclaims and she seems to be completely awake now as she stands up and makes her way to him. Sebastian picks her up and she wraps her arms around his neck before she kisses his cheek. “Congratulations.” She smiles brightly at him.  
“Thank you _kleiner_.” He smiles back at her as he holds her close. The three men talk a bit more and when Sebastian looks down at Meghan again she is asleep in his arms.  
“We should get her back to the hotel.” Lewis says as he carefully takes her from Sebastian. Sebastian smiles fondly at the little girl as he brushes a strand of her out of her face.  
“She can stay with me sometime during the winter.” He says; sticking to his promise to let her sleep over.  
“Yeah, January maybe. After Christmas and New Year’s.” Nico nods before he congratulates Sebastian one more time and Sebastian is off to his victory party while Lewis and Nico make their way back to the hotel.

Once Meghan is safely tucked in Nico makes his way to Lewis in their bedroom.  
“So I was thinking.” Nico starts as he wraps his arms around Lewis’ neck. “Since this will be Meghan’s first Christmas with us we should make some family traditions of our own.”  
“Like what?” Lewis asks as he wraps his arms around Nico’s waist to pull him closer.  
“Well for a start we could actually get a real tree this year.” Nico smiles. “I’m sure she would love to decorate it. I know we don’t usually get a real one and I love how we’ve been spending Christmas together for the past few years, but I just want this to be special.”  
Lewis smiles. “We’ll get a real tree and some new decorations and we can invite our parents over to have Christmas at our place for a change.” He suggests and he relishes in the way that Nico’s eyes light up at the idea.  
“That sounds perfect.” Nico breaths out before he kisses Lewis. “I love you so much.” He mutters when he pulls away.  
“I love you too.” Lewis smiles before he draws Nico in for another kiss.


	8. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first Christmas as a family.

“Wake up, princess.” Lewis strokes Meghan’s cheek as he crouches down next to her bed. “It’s Christmas.” He smiles as she slowly opens her eyes.

“Christmas?” She asks as she rubs her eyes.

“Yes.” Lewis smiles. “Come on; papa is waiting for us.” He says and he stands back up. Meghan sits up and hops out of bed before she walks out of her room, followed by Lewis. Meghan gasps as she steps into the living room.

Nico’s smile grows when she enters the room and he holds out his hand for Meghan to join him by the tree. “Merry Christmas, Meghan.” He says and he crouches down next to her as Lewis sits down on her other side. “Ready to open your presents?”

Meghan’s eyes widen. “Presents?” She looks from Lewis to Nico and then to the gifts under the tree. “Presents at Christmas? I though you only got presents on your birthday?” She says.

“You never got presents for Christmas?” Lewis asks as he pulls her onto his lap.

Meghan shakes her head. “No, in the-“ She stops and thinks before she turns to Nico. “ _Waisenhaus?_ ” She asks, because she can’t find the English word.

“The orphanage.” Nico tells her.

“At the orphanage we only got a nice meal on Christmas and that was it.” She shrugs.

“Well, we celebrate Christmas with a tree and presents, and tonight your grandparents are coming over for dinner.” Nico says as he scoots a little closer to Lewis and Meghan. “Here you go; from Santa.” He smiles as he hands her a present.

* * *

 

Nico’s parents are the first to arrive and Meghan excitedly runs up to them. “Look what I got, Opa.” She grins as she holds one of her new books up to him. “Will you read it with me?” Meghan looks up at Keke and Nico’s heart flutters when he sees his father smile and nod at Meghan. He was a bit worried about his parent’s reaction to adopting a child, especially since it took them some time to get used to him and Lewis being together. They weren’t against the idea and they didn’t push him away; they just needed some time to come to terms with it.

“She adores them.” Lewis mutters in Nico’s ear when he wraps his arms around him from behind as they both watch Meghan on the couch with her grandparents.

“I’m really happy my parents adjusted to us having a child so soon.” Nico leans against Lewis as he speaks. “I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t.”

“Well, luckily you didn’t have to worry about that.” Lewis presses a kiss to Nico’s cheek when the bell rings. “Looks like the other grandparents are here.” Lewis says as he lets go of Nico to open the door.

“Meghan, look.” Nico calls out to her after he has greeted Lewis’ parents.

Meghan’s head shoots up from the book and her smile widens. “Grandpa! Grandma!” She exclaims as she runs up to them. Lewis’ father picks her up and places her on his hip and Nico and Lewis watch as their daughter charms their parents.

* * *

 

At the end of the evening Meghan is so tired that she falls asleep on Lewis’ lap.

“Well, that’s our sign to go.” Lewis’ mother says as she gestures to her sleeping granddaughter. “Dinner was lovely Nico, thank you both for having us.” She smiles as she stands up followed by Lewis’ dad and Nico’s parents stand up as well. They all say their goodbyes and Meghan receives several kisses on her head that wake her up enough to wave goodbye to her grandparents.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Lewis chuckles as he watches her yawn. “You’ve had a long day.” He adds and Meghan nods before she rests her head against his chest.

“I’ll start cleaning up.” Nico says before he leans down and presses a kiss to Meghan’s head. “Good night, Liebling.”

“Good night, papa.” Meghan gives him a tired smile and yawns again as Lewis carries her to her bedroom.

“So, did you have a good day?” He asks as he sets her down on her bed and gets her pajamas.

Meghan nods. “Yes, thank you.”

Lewis smiles. “Anything for you.” He mutters.

* * *

 

When Lewis has put Meghan to bed he rejoins Nico in the living room, which is almost cleaned by now. “She just thanked me for today.” Lewis mutters; still in awe with pretty much anything that comes out of his daughter’s mouth. Nico simply smiles in response as he takes his husband’s hand to lead him to the couch. “She looked so happy.” Lewis breaths out as he wraps his arm around Nico’s shoulders.

“She did.” Nico nods before he presses a kiss to Lewis’ jaw. “You’re an amazing dad, you know.” He smiles at him.

“Thank you.” Lewis says as he turns his head to kiss Nico. “You’re not too bad yourself.” He mutters when he pulls away.


	9. Kimi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meghan and Kimi meet for the first time.

Meghan trails after Toto, who is watching her while her parents are busy. Unfortunately, he has to take care of something and is now looking for someone to watch Meghan in the meantime. He lets out a relieved sigh when he spots Niki. He taps the man on his shoulder and asks him if it’s okay if Meghan stays with him for a moment. Niki smiles at the little girls and nods. “ _Meghan, Niki will watch you for a moment while I take care of something in the garage okay?_ ” Toto says as he crouches down in front of the young girl.

Meghan simply nods and steps closer to Niki, who smiles fondly as she does so. She has gotten used to going from one person to another until her parents are free again, so she doesn’t mind Toto leaving her with Niki. She stays with Niki until he is suddenly called on for an interview and she loses him in the crowd of people. Niki assumes she’s coming after him and continues to talk to the journalist.

Meghan franticly looks around for someone she knows. It’s the first race weekend of the new season and she sees people she didn’t see last year. She wonders around as she tries to find the Mercedes garage again. It starts to get busier now that the drivers are out of their cars after practice and it’s a flurry of journalists. Meghan tries to find a quieter place, but she’s slightly panicking now; she just wants her parents or her Onkel Seb or anyone familiar right now, she would even settle for Fernando.

A few meters away Kimi is trying to find a quieter place as well, maybe even to catch a quick nap. His return to Formula 1 has been busy and he needs a moment of peace. When he looks up he frowns as he spots a little girl all on her own. No one else seems to pay her any mind, while he can clearly see she’s on the verge of tears. He stops walking and looks around to see if anyone is looking for her, but he doesn’t spot anyone.

“Hey.” A quiet voice pulls Meghan out of her thoughts and she looks up to see a man in a black overall with gold and red. “Where are your parents?” Kimi asks as he crouches down in front of her. 

Meghan looks hesitant for a moment, but when the man takes off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of kind eyes she decides to trust him. “They’re with Mercedes or McLaren.” She sniffs as she wipes at her cheeks. “I’m lost.” She adds as she looks at the stranger for help.

Kimi nods; he can work with that. McLaren’s garage is the closest, so he’ll just drop her off there. “I’ll bring you back.” He tells her and his expression softens when he sees the little girl fighting back her tears. “I’m Kimi.” He says as he stands up and puts out his hand for her to hold.

The girl looks from his hand to his face and he gives her an encouraging smile. She takes a deep breath to calm herself down before she takes his hand and lets him lead her through the people. “I’m Meghan.” She tells him and Kimi nods curtly at her before he puts his sunglasses back into place.

“Kimi!” A familiar voice sounds and both Meghan and Kimi turn their heads in Sebastian’s direction. “Nico and Lewis can’t find their daughter, have you seen a little girl with bold curls?!” Sebastian calls out before he even reaches them. He stops in his tracks when he spots Meghan next to Kimi, their hands clasped together. “Meghan!” He exclaims in relief as he crouches down to pick her up. “We were so worried. Where have you been?” He asks as he pulls her into his arms.

Meghan wraps her arms around his neck as Sebastian lifts her up. “Niki went with a man and there were a lot of people, so I lost him.” She says as she rests against him. “But Kimi found me.” She goes on as she removes one of her hands from Sebastian’s neck to point to Kimi. “He was bringing me back.”

“Was he now?” Sebastian muses; he’s so relieved she’s alright and slightly amused at the idea of Kimi talking to the little girl. “Well, we should get to your parents before they tear down the whole paddock.” Sebastian presses a kiss to the top of her head as he pulls her closer. “Thank you for taking care of her.” He says to Kimi.

“I was just bringing her back.” Kimi shrugs. “It’s no big deal.” He adds as he keeps his eyes on Meghan. He has to admit she’s pretty adorable, all snuggled up to Sebastian as she rests her head on the German’s shoulder. “Try not to get lost anymore.” He says to Meghan as he gives her a small smile. Sebastian’s heart melts a little at the soft undertone in Kimi’s voice and he watches with a fond smile as the Finn lightly strokes her cheek before he walks away.

* * *

“Meghan!” Nico exclaims when Sebastian steps into the Mercedes garage. He takes his daughter out of Sebastian’s arms and hugs her close to his chest. He was so worried about her. They couldn’t find her anywhere and were running out of ideas. “ _I was so worried_.” He mutters against the top of her head before he presses a kiss to her hair.

Meghan in turn tightly wraps her arms around her father. “ _I’m sorry_.” She sniffles slightly as everything catches up with her.

“ _It’s okay_.” Nico lets out a shaky breath. “ _I should call your dad. He’s still looking for you._ ” He gives her a small smile before he starts to look for his phone.

“ _I already called him. He’s on his way_.” Sebastian informs him and Nico gives him a grateful smile. “ _Kimi found her. He was bringing her back to the garage. She says she lost Niki in the crowd when someone came to get him_.” He explains. 

Nico nods as he keeps Meghan close to him. “ _I guess this would have happened at some point_.” He sighs as the adrenaline and stress slowly leave his body. “ _Wait; did you say Kimi was bringing her back?_ ” He furrows his eyebrows as he looks at Sebastian.

The Red Bull driver chuckles. “ _Yeah, I ran into them while they were on their way to McLaren. They were holding hands and judging by the way Kimi looked at her, he already has a soft spot for her._ ”

Nico is about to react when Lewis rushes into the garage followed by Jenson. “Oh thank goodness.” Lewis breaths out as he wraps his arms around both Nico and Meghan. “You’re okay.” He whispers as he tries to calm down.

Sebastian looks up as he hears Jenson let out a relieved sigh as well. “Well, that was stressful.” Jenson tries to lighten the mood and he gets a few nervous laughs in return. “Where did you find her anyway?” He then asks Sebastian.

“Halfway between Lotus and McLaren.” Sebastian answers. “Kimi was bringing her back.” He explains and Jenson gives him a confused look. “Yeah, I was surprised too. Kimi seemed quite fond of her already.”

Lewis frowns slightly. “You can’t just go with strangers Meghan.” He tells her as he pulls back slightly to be able to look at her. “Not all people are nice. Something could have happened.” He says sternly.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers as she looks down. “But Kimi was nice.” Meghan cuddles closer to Nico’s chest. “He wore a racing suit like you and he wanted to help me.” She says as she blinks back fresh tears; she doesn’t want her dad to be mad at her.

Lewis is about to speak up again, but Nico beats him to it. The German realizes that his husband is worried, but there’s no reason to make Meghan feel even worse about this. “He is nice.” Nico says as he pulls her tightly against him again as rocks her slightly. “We’ll have to thank him later.”


	10. Everybody loves Meghan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meghan has everyone wrapped around her finger.

Lewis sighs deeply as he watches Meghan sleep. The worries of losing her today finally ebbing away as he watches her. “Hey.” Nico mutters as he wraps his arms around Lewis from behind. He feels the tension in Lewis’ body and rests his head on Lewis’ shoulder. “She’s okay.” He tries to assure the Brit.

“I know.” Lewis lets himself relax in his husband’s arms. “I just can’t help but think about what could have happened.” He admits. “We need to make sure this doesn’t happen again. This time it was Kimi and everything worked out, but next time it could be some stranger that takes her with him or something.”

Nico nods slightly before kissing the side of Lewis’ neck. “I know.” He breaths out. “We can see if we can hire someone just to watch her, so they won’t get called away for interviews and such.” He suggests.

Lewis nods; he’s not fond of the idea of a stranger looking after their daughter, but everyone they know in this world has other obligations during race weekends.

* * *

“Kimi!” Nico calls out as he spots the Finn in the paddock the next day. Kimi stops walking and waits for Nico to catch up. “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for helping Meghan yesterday.” Nico says as they walk further together.

“No problem.” Kimi shrugs. “Where is she now?” He tries not to sound eager, but he was kind of hoping to see the little girl again, preferably with a smile this time.

“She’s with Lewis.” Nico tells him. “He hasn’t let her out of his sight since we found her yesterday.” He chuckles slightly as he remembers Lewis smothering Meghan this morning. He glances at Kimi, because he feels like he heard something different in the Finn’s tone but he’s not sure. “I was just going to stop by McLaren to see them, do you want to come?” He asks and he’s slightly surprised when Kimi immediately nods before covering it up with a cough and a shrug.

“Papa!” Meghan smiles widely as Nico walks into the garage. “Kimi.” She adds when she spots the Finn walk in after her father. She’s sitting on the ground on Lewis lap while they were reading one of her beloved books. Lewis smiles at Nico and nods at Kimi, he’s never really had a connection with him.

Nico crouches down in front of them as he greets them. Kimi stands back, he’s not sure how to act. “Thank you for yesterday.” Lewis says as Nico sits down near him and starts to fuss over Meghan.

Kimi shrugs again before he looks at Meghan. She smiles at him and climbs off Lewis’ lap so she can walk towards Kimi. The Finn smiles as she reaches out her hand to him and he lets her lead him to her parents where he sits down as well. “I got a new book the other day.” She tells him as she climbs onto his lap with her book.

Lewis and Nico watch in awe as Kimi lifts his sunglasses off his face and reads with Meghan. They exchange a look before they watch their daughter charm Kimi again. He smiles at the little girl and dotes on her with a gentle look on his face that Nico and Lewis have never seen before.

At that moment Jenson steps into Lewis’s side of the garage to see if Meghan is there, but he stops in his tracks when he comes face to face with the scene playing out in the garage. He quickly pulls out his phone to snap a picture and send it to Sebastian.

* * *

“Is he still here?” Sebastian whisper-yells, which startles Jenson who is spying on Lewis, Nico, Meghan and Kimi. He shushes Sebastian and points to the scene in the garage. “Unbelievable.” Sebastian breaths out as he takes in the gentle look on Kimi’s face.

Jenson nods as he keeps his eyes on Meghan, who seems completely comfortable on Kimi’s lap. “I bet even her Onkel Seb can’t drag her away right now.” Jenson teases Sebastian, who raises his eyebrows as he turns to Jenson.

“She met him yesterday, there is no way he is taking my place.” Sebastian huffs. He watches them for another moment, but Jenson’s words are actually bugging him. He starts to walk into the garage while Jenson follows with an amused expression. “Hey Meghan.” Sebastian smiles as the little girl’s head immediately turns in his direction.

“Hey Onkel Seb.” She waves at him but doesn’t move away from Kimi. “Hi Jenson.” She adds when she notices her dad’s teammate. “Kimi is reading with me.” Her smile widens as she glances up at Kimi before looking back at Sebastian.

“Is he?” Sebastian muses as he sits down next to Kimi and gives the Finn an amused look. His slight jealousy disappearing as he sees Meghan cuddle a little closer to Kimi while the Finn gazes at her with a fond smile. “I bet he’s not as good as reading as I am.” Sebastian teases, which earns him a slight glare from Kimi.

“He’s great.” Meghan tells him but pushes herself up in Kimi’s lap to whisper in Sebastian’s earn. “But he doesn’t do the voices like you.” She lets him know and Sebastian smiles widely.

Nico and Lewis watch the scene unfold before them. “This is ridiculous.” Lewis chuckles slightly as he wraps an arm around Nico. “She’s got them all wrapped around her finger.”


	11. Bad parenting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis and Nico aren’t too great at the whole parenting thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I saw all the comments on the terrible parenting, which is what I was aiming for hahah. It’s a nice build up for a little drama don’t you think... ;)

The more Lewis thought about it, the worse he felt. It was definitely his fault that Meghan got lost and something terrible could have happened. He was the one that convinced Nico they didn’t need a stranger to look after her. He can’t believe he didn’t make sure someone permanently watches her. The guilts eats away at him and he has immediately started to gather information on an au-pair. It doesn’t take away the guilt he feels about failing his daughter, but at least he can make sure he’ll do better in the future.

Nico feels beyond guilty as well. He should have convinced Lewis an au-pair was necessary. It’s all his fault and Meghan is paying for it. He is discreetly looking for an au-pair. He doesn’t want to print some public add and have just anyone respond to it, so he tries to keep it under wraps.

The couple has been quite distant lately. They both blame themselves and steer clear of the other to avoid a conversation about it. They’re both setting out their own plan without consulting the other. Though they spend as much time as possible with Meghan and try to act like everything is alright, the little girl can feel that something is different. She doesn’t know what’s wrong but her parents aren’t the same.

“Another nightmare?” Lewis asks as Nico steps into the bedroom after consoling Meghan. Nico nods as he sits down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. “That’s the fourth one this week. Do you think it has something to do with her getting lost?” Lewis hesitantly asks as he looks at Nico’s back.

Nico’s shoulders drop at the question. “It’s not that.” Nico says. His voice sounds raspy and Lewis furrows his eyebrows at his husband’s tone. “She just told me what her nightmares are about.” Nico explains as he tries to hold in his tears; he’s a terrible father.

“Well, what is it?” Lewis presses when Nico doesn’t continue. He walks around the bed so he can see Nico’s face and his shoulders drop when he sees tears in the German’s eyes. “Nico, what’s wrong?” He asks softly as he sits down next to him and wraps an arm around his shoulders. When he feels the slight spark as he touches Nico, he realizes it’s been a while since he actually held him close.

“She has nightmares about us.” Nico sniffs as he leans closer to Lewis. Lewis’ frown deepens as he pulls Nico closer. “She thinks something’s wrong and that we’re mad at each other.” Nico goes on and turns so he can crawl onto Lewis’ lap. “She even apologized for making us mad.” The German is full on crying at this point and Lewis tightly holds him to his chest.

Tears start to gather in Lewis’ eyes as well and he feels even more guilty now. “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at myself for not taking better care of her.” Lewis sniffs as he hides his face in Nico’s neck. “I was the one that didn’t want to hire an au pair, it’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault Lewis.” Nico tells him as he wraps his arms around Lewis’ torso. “I didn’t put up enough of a fight to convince you.” He says as he lowers his head onto Lewis’ shoulder.

They sit like that for a while. The closeness is comforting and they both slowly realize how badly they’ve handled the situation. “I’m afraid we’re both to blame for this.” Lewis mutters. “I’ve been looking into hiring an au-pair.”

“Me too.” Nico admits with a sigh. “We should go over it together.” He suggests and feels Lewis nod. “We have to be better for her.” Nico says as he pulls away so he can look at his husband. “We have to.”

Lewis nods as he looks up to Nico. “We will be better.” He promises him before he tilts his head up to kiss the German. Nico sighs against his lips as he wraps his arms around Lewis’ neck.

* * *

“Good morning, princess.” Lewis smiles as Meghan walks into the kitchen the following morning. “No more nightmares?” He asks as he starts to prepare her breakfast.

Meghan shakes her head as she climbs onto one of the kitchen chairs and looks around for her father. “Where’s papa?” She asks as she looks at Lewis who approaches her with some food.

“I’m right here.” Nico announces as he steps into the room. He walks over to kiss Lewis, dragging the kiss out a bit, before he walks to the kitchen table and sits down next to his daughter. He hugs her from the side and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Daddy and I need to talk to you.” He says as he lets her go.

Meghan’s eyes widen as she looks from Nico to Lewis, who has also joined them at the table. “I’m really sorry I made you mad.” She mutters as she looks down at her plate.

Lewis heart breaks a little as he looks at her. “We’re not mad.” He promises her as he reaches for her hand across the table. “Your father just want to talk to you about having someone around to watch you while we have to work. Someone new, who only looks after you and doesn’t have to do anything else.” He explains. “That way you will never get lost again.”

Nico smiles at Lewis before focusing his attention on Meghan again. “Would you like that?” He asks softly as he wraps an arm around her. “We will find someone really nice.” He promises her.

Meghan has a hard time understanding everything and completely misinterprets it. “You don’t want me around you?” She asks quietly as the first tears roll down her cheeks.

Lewis and Nico are slightly shocked at her response. “No, no, Meghan. We want you around us all the time.” Nico rushes out as he lifts her onto his lap. “But when we have to work, we need someone else to look after you.” He tries to explain again.

Meghan sniffles as she tries to stop the tears. “Only while you work?” She asks just to be sure as she looks up at Nico.

“Yes, only while we work.” He promises her as Lewis makes his way around the table to sit down next to them and wrap his arms around his family.

“Any other time we will be with you, princess.” Lewis assures her as he kisses the top of her head.


	12. Esther

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meghan’s au-pair meets Sebastian and Kimi.

It’s the first race weekend Meghan will spend with her au-pair. Her au-pair is called Esther and she’s forty-eight; Nico and Lewis didn’t want to hire someone younger. On top of that, Esther also has experience as a home school teacher, so she’ll be able to be Meghan’s teacher as well. She has a lot of experience when it comes to watching children, but is not familiar with the world she’s being introduced to now. Meghan can sense the discomfort Esther feels as they make their way to the Mercedes garage with Nico and Lewis a little before the first free practice.

Meghan tightens her grip on Lewis’ hand and walks a little closer to him. Her parents have explained it all to her and Meghan has fully come to terms with being looked after by Esther, but it makes her feel uneasy to see the woman who has to take care of her look so uncomfortable.

Lewis looks down when he feels Meghan’s grip on his hand tighten. He sees her looking at Esther and notices the look on his daughter’s face. He frowns, he thought Meghan seemed to be alright with Esther. They have spent time with the au-pair and even left Meghan alone with her a few times, so they knew the two got along. Esther had told them Meghan behaved perfectly and there was no reason for either of them to worry.

* * *

 

After the first and second free practice Kimi decides to make his way to Mercedes to see Meghan. He frowns when he doesn’t see her in the garage. All he finds is Sebastian looking around with a confused look on his face. He watches Sebastian talk to someone of the team and the confused look disappears from the German’s face as he receives an answer.

“Oh Kimi, hey.” Sebastian smiles when he spots the Finn. “Here to see Meghan?” He asks and Kimi nods. “She’s with her au-pair in the Mercedes hospitality, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to get in. They’re not as friendly there, trust me I speak from experience.” Sebastian grimaces.

Kimi scoffs and starts to walk towards the hospitality. He hears Sebastian’s footsteps behind him and the German makes sure to stay close to Kimi as he barges into the hospitality area without being stopped. Not for the first time Sebastian wonders why Kimi can always do things other people can’t.

“Kimi!” Meghan exclaims as soon as she sees him and before Esther fully registers what’s going on Meghan has run towards him. Kimi cracks a smile as he lifts the little girl up and holds her close.

“Hey, what about me?” Sebastian pouts playfully as he approaches the two. Meghan pushes herself up as good as she can to kiss his cheek as an apology, but she’s more than comfortable with Kimi.

Esther watches the exchange. She’s not sure what to do, because she has no idea who these men are. But she can see how comfortable Meghan is around them, so she assumes Lewis and Nico will be okay with this. She clears her throat as she walks towards them. “I’m Esther.” She says as she holds out her hand to Sebastian. “Meghan’s au-pair.”

“I’m Sebastian.” He answers as he shakes her hand. “I’m friends with Nico and Lewis and drive for Red Bull.” He explains. “This is Kimi, he drives for Lotus.” He adds as he gestured to the man, who’s still holding Meghan. Kimi nods at Esther in acknowledgment.

“Alright.” Esther smiles hesitantly; she feels a little uncomfortable as Kimi just stares at her in silence. “Do you spend a lot of time with Meghan?” She asks just to make some conversation. She’s sure Nico or Lewis should be here soon if these drivers have time to come here as well.

“Yes, we do.” Sebastian nods with a smile as he looks at Meghan. “Right Meghan?” He asks the little girl as he tickles her slightly.

She giggles and wiggles in Kimi’s arms before looking at Esther. “I had a sleepover with Onkel Seb in the winter.” She smiles. “And Kimi always reads with me.” She adds as she wraps her arms around Kimi’s neck.

Esther nods slowly as she watches Kimi’s expression change completely when he looks at Meghan. A soft smile makes its way onto his face and he presses a quick kiss to her cheek. Meghan smiles at Kimi, but her attention is quickly taken away by someone behind Kimi. “Papa!” Meghan exclaims as she sees Nico walk towards them.

“Hey, Kleiner.” Nico smiles fondly as he smooths his fingers through Meghan’s unruly curls as she remains in Kimi’s arms. “I hope everything went alright?” Nico asks as he turns his attention to Esther.

“Yes, she behaved perfectly as always.” The au-pair assures him. “She has actually been explaining things to me.” She admits as she recalls how Meghan explained things about the teams and other stuff about F1 to her.


End file.
